Fly safe — and fly friendly!

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Ben Winton

Excerpt from IWA's "Fly Friendly" PDF, available on the airport website for pilots.

A reminder from our friends at IWA (Phoenix-Mesa Gateway) that noise-sensitive areas exist all around the airport.

In particular, heightened sensitivity has focused on the area east of the corridor for traffic heading to the Southeast Practice areas. Also, be aware of Fighter Combat conducting aerobatic training east of IWA’s Class Delta airspace.

IWA Community Relations Coordinator Patrick Oakley says that some residents in those areas have recently expressed concern about the noise of some departing and arriving aircraft.

IWA’s website provides a good section for pilots on how to “Fly Friendly.” It’s worth a look. Here’s the link: http://www.phxmesagateway.org/FlyFriendly.aspx Continue reading →

Popularity: 9%

Southeast Practice Area Being Redefined

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Ben Winton

The Arizona Flight Training Workgroup needs comments from flight instructors and others who fly and train regularly in the southeastern Phoenix metropolitan area.

The AFTW is redrawing its popular chart depicting practice areas over the PHX area, and your comments will be used to help increase safety over airspace that both commercial jet traffic and training flights currently share. Continue reading →

Popularity: 41%

Long-term FAA bill clears Congress, heads to president

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Ben Winton

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association reports today: “The Senate, following up on House action last week, has passed a four-year, $63.4 billion FAA reauthorization bill with no user fees or fuel-tax increases.

The bill, now headed to the desk of President Barack Obama for signing, would give the FAA its first long-term operating authority since 2007, ending a string of 23 stop-gap operating authorization measures.”

Training flights and commercial jets at odds for airspace east of IWA

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Ben Winton

The blue tracks indicate VFR aircraft squawking 1200, red tracks depict large turbine aircraft arriving or departing IWA, and white tracks represent other aircraft being provided air traffic services by Phoenix TRACON.

The ad-hoc Phoenix Airspace Users Working Group recently issued some stunning graphics showing just how congested the airspace in and around IWA in the southeastern Phoenix metropolitan area is becoming.

“Pilots operating in the airspace near IWA should be aware of the density of air traffic operations in the area,” writes Phillip D. Thornton, Air Traffic Manager, Phoenix Terminal Radar Approach Control, in a Jan. 18, 2012, Letter to Airmen. The letter becomes effective in 30 days . “Approximately 800 aircraft operations a day transit the airspace depicted above at or below 5,000’ MSL (excluding Phoenix Sky Harbor traffic).”

Download the Letter to Airmen, which contains more graphics indicating the airspace issues. (PDF, requires Adobe Reader.)

Permalink, where you can discuss this: http://aftw.org/wp/2012/01/iwaairspace/

Popularity: 35%

Air Force cracks down on practice ILS at Aux-1 west of Phoenix

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Ben Winton

In a legal opinion, Luke Air Force Base’s top lawyer says that civilian use of the practice ILS approach at AUX-1 airfield northwest of Phoenix is “unauthorized” and measures should be taken to prevent its use by anyone other than military pilots.

“The Air Force does face potential liability connected with this practice,” wrote Capt. Bradley J. Sauer, chief of Operations and Administrative Law, in a Nov. 14 memorandum to Luke officials. The USAF’s Staff Judge Advocate, Lt. Col. Thomas L. Cluff Jr., also signed off on the memo.

Continue reading →

Popularity: 36%

FAA places new emphasis on ATC communications; Gateway issues new radio procedures

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Ben Winton

In an effort to improve safety and reduce the risk of runway incursions, air traffic controllers at Phoenix Gateway airport (IWA) will be expecting more precise radio communications from pilots.

Effective immediately, all aircraft who are No. 1 for departure will be instructed to hold short of the runway. Controllers must ensure a proper read back of all hold short instructions, including the the runway assignment in the read back. In addition, all pilots must include their call sign in the read backs.